1. Field
This disclosure relates to furniture accessories, and in particular to devices and methods that provide a blunted surface on a corner of an article of furniture thereby reducing the likelihood of injury associated with impacting the corner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Articles of furniture, such as tables, desks, chairs, benches, couches, beds, shelves, and the like, are well known. Articles of furniture often have a rectangular shape, which can facilitate manufacturing of the article given that forming straight shapes can typically be done more easily and cost-effectively than forming curved shapes. To reduce cost, articles of furniture are frequently formed of a composite material, such as particle board or fiber board.
While furniture having a rectangular shape can facilitate manufacturing, such articles normally also have relatively sharp corners. For example, tables with a rectangular top portion often have corners formed at about a 90° angle. Such corners can pose a serious safety hazard should a person impact the corner, such as during a fall. The safety risk can be exacerbated in areas visited by populations having sub-optimal dexterity, e.g., children, elderly persons, persons with illness, etc. Likewise, areas of increased bodily activity, such as gymnasiums and classrooms, can also be areas in which the risk of a person impacting the corner of an article of furniture is increased.
One solution would be to adhere cushioning to the corners, but such cushions can be fairly easily removed (intentionally or accidentally) and often have an effectiveness that is limited by a desire for the cushion to have a narrow thickness, so as not to extend too far beyond the surface of the furniture. Another solution would be to sand or grind the corners of the article of furniture into a rounded shape, but such processes can add additional steps and increase manufacturing cost and time. Indeed, for articles of furniture manufactured with composite materials, such sanding or grinding processes may not be feasible because the composite material would simply splinter.